Bangkok: A Getaway with Friends

Four years ago, my family and I visited the Thai capital, Bangkok. Though the wonderful sights impressed us, we never fell in love with the city. Looking back, perhaps it was the limited time that didn’t make us appreciate this capital. We only had a day and a half, and we tried to do everything all in that period — from visiting some of best temples such as Wat Po, Wat Arun and the Marble temple, to walking around the compounds of the Grand Palace and seeing the most revered Emerald Buddha, to visiting the Vimanmek Mansion, to shopping jewelry and bargain-hunting in Pratunam. It was indeed one of the most hectic days we had during our travels.

At the back of my mind, I’ve always wanted to go back to Bangkok. A second chance might show me another side of the city, I thought. Diverting from the traditional family international getaway we have each year, this year’s Bangkok trip was my first time to travel to another country with friends. I was excited with all the new experiences!

The wacky girls and the hungry boy

Hosteling Experience

Since my friends and I had a very limited budget and since we had an odd composition for a group of four (3 girls plus a boy) and since we’re all clingy and wanted to stay in the same room, we had very limited choices for our accommodation.

Though a lot of budget-friendly options can be found near Khao San Road, I had to find another one since Khao San can be quite intimidating for first-time Bangkok visitors. Thankfully, there’s this Hosteling International branch near the Victory Monument, which was also near the BTS.

It was already past midnight when we arrived in the hostel. The reception guy was nice enough to wait for us. We paid our bill in full (THB 2400 per night for a room for four with a private bathroom x 3 nights) at once. I had little expectations for our room, because the reception area was dim and small, yet upon entering the room, I was relieved. The room looked warm, with little accents here and there that made me feel that I was indeed in a foreign land. The bathroom, though small, was clean.

Our room for four 🙂

A light breakfast of coffee, toast and jam and fruits is included in the nightly rate. If you want a heavier breakfast, you can grab something to eat from the 7-11 convenience store near the hostel, or from McDonalds at the corner of the street.

Though tucked in a side street, HI Mid Hotel Bangkok had a very strategic location. Apart from the nearby stores of 7-11 and McDonalds and the short walk to the BTS, the quiet sidewalk turns into a mecca of food stalls at night. On the other side of the road is an abundance of inexpensive clothes for sale. You can even hail a taxi just a few steps from the hotel. Lastly, the Victory Monument minivan “terminal” is very near the hostel.

[…] Afterwards, our driver brought us to the minivan terminal. For only 70 baht per head, we were on our way back to Bangkok. We were already very, very hungry at this point. Good thing that the terminal was near the Victory Monument, which was also near the hostel we were staying at. […]